Bricks

Brick Veneer Cladding

Clay brick essentially needs no maintenance, minimizes insurance costs, saves energy, absorbs external noise, enhances resale values, and is arguably one of the best and safest exterior wall cladding to choose for any home. In addition, it provides improved protection from hail, wind, and fire. 

Moreover, brick wall cladding offers higher protection for home and family, and it does this with a lasting style of unparalleled quality and beauty. 

Still, wondering why it’s a good idea to pick brick cladding? Here are four practical reasons why brick slips are the best in terms of cladding and façades:

Affordable 

Whether it’s composite cladding, concrete cladding, or some other material, none provides the kind of aesthetic, long-lasting, and protective values as exterior brick cladding. Moreover, whether it’s the suburban school or the starter home, many reports confirm that brick slip cladding costs way less than most other materials such as metal cladding, etc.    

Protection

Brick Cladding provides better protection in ways most other materials can’t.  For example, it can help with fire protection, durability, shelter from wind-borne junk, and more. 

Unlike fibre cement cladding, brick veneer cladding provides improved protection against all types of extreme weather events. 

Wind And Storm Protection

According to one storm study, houses built with clay brick provide dramatically more shelter from wind-blown rubble than houses built with timber cladding or uPVC cladding. 

Fire Protection 

The main component in brick cladding is clay, which is fired up to 2000°F. This is the primary reason why brick veneer is categorized as an incombustible material.  In addition to that, the “National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)” conducted a fire test which conclusively showed that nothing outstrips good old-fashioned clay brick in a one-hour fire test.   

Superior Humidity Control 

Various studies claim that brick wall cladding can control humidity better than most other exterior wall cladding materials. As a result, it reduces mould growth, corrosion of metal fasteners rooted in solid wood, and insect infestation and rot. 

Sustainability

Unlike most artificial materials designed to resemble genuine materials, clay brick is made out of some of the Earth’s natural and most abundant materials. 

Moreover, it’s 100% recyclable and eco-friendly. For instance, brick can be salvaged, chipped for perennial landscaping mulch, or crushed for subbase materials. 

In addition to that, it’s among those few materials which building standard codes authorize to be recycled in the building application upon meeting the “American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM)” standards for brick cladding. As a result, salvaged clay bricks are famous and depict an active market.

Aesthetics

Many beautiful streetscapes and elegant buildings have been covered with fired brick veneer cladding – some were established even before the independence. 

Thanks to bricks’ incredible flexibility, permanent colour, and longevity, it looks great on both the historical colonial structures and contemporary, sleek office buildings. 

Real Brick Vs. Faux Brick

Real Bricks

Real brick homes are a timeless beauty. The bricks are made the traditional way, i.e., from shale and clay, and these are perfect for adding to the classic good looks of a home.

It’s a fact that these bricks are the very foundation of local homes since they are a sturdy building material. Real brick houses are usually built upon two bricklayers or concrete blocks along with a bricklayer. The real brick is also known as “double-brick” or “solid masonry.”

Faux Bricks

Faux brick is made of high-density polyurethane and is designed to imitate real brick. It was created to offer a quicker and more cost-effective way to provide the exteriors and interiors of the buildings with decorative accents. 

Faux brick cladding is also known as fake brick cladding and isn’t as strong and durable as solid brick. However, it’s much cheaper than real brick. Nonetheless, a faux brick can’t be utilized as structural support – it can only be employed as an exterior decorative moulding. 

Many kinds of fake brick cladding are easily available. Moreover, some of them are quite easy to install since they are in the form of panels, making them a convenient yet lovely addition to the décor of any building or home. Interestingly, the panels are created from extremely delicate layers of solid bricks. 

Overall, faux bricks are often employed to make renovation projects more cost-effective. For example, a fake brick backsplash will add to the overall beauty of the kitchen. 

Things To Consider 

Here are a few things to consider when choosing brick wall cladding:

Installation Process

One of the many reasons the cost of clay bricks is so high involves the expertise needed to install them. In addition, bricks are incredibly dense material and therefore aren’t apt for a DIY project. 

Setting up this material is physically challenging and requires a specialized technique and an expert masonry team to get things done accurately and safely. 

Maintenance 

Whether it’s a solid brick or fake brick cladding, they can crack after a while and thus must be checked annually. Although it’s relatively easy to patch small cracks; however, if the gaps are significant, it will require additional masonry work. 

Additionally, clay bricks need mortar for bonding. As mortar takes the bulk of structural loads, it will require maintenance now and then to make sure the brick doesn’t get damaged. 

Colour 

Colour is arguably one of the most critical considerations when choosing exterior cladding. And fortunately, when it comes to clay bricks, there is a wide variety of colour and finishing options to choose from, beyond the conventional rustic red that pops up in mind whenever brick cladding is mentioned. 

From limestone hues, ultra white, midnight black, grey, light cream to sandstone textures, designers and homeowners get to choose from an extensive range of brick colour and texture options for any property. This makes bricks suitable to be installed as eaves and soffits on the roof of the house. 

Home Design

Clay bricks often weigh more than most other cladding materials. So, for example, if people have a multi-story home cladding with bricks, they will need a more supportive structure. Additionally, bricks can help create a unique look for homes and buildings because of the sheer extent of choices available.

Add attractive bricks cladding to the façade screens of a building or green facades to stand a class apart in the neighbourhood. We can help. We bring you an extensive collection of brick veneer cladding at ArchiPro. Check out our range of products today.